Work Text:
It was a fine day in April. Not too hot, not too cold, all you needed was a light jacket. The skies were clear and blue, free of anger, aggrievement, and strife. A couple of clouds rolled by in the distance, slowly peddling their fluffy cumulonimbus wares to the various winds hanging about, and the sun shone, bright white like the gazing eye of an infinite author, only watching, never more writing an end to the world's tale. The windows in J. Egbert's house were open, allowing that refreshing, life-giving breeze to trickle in slowly, obviating the need for air conditioning.
Today was a day only for close friends. J's life had gotten awfully crowded recently, at the ripe old age of 25, what with all the events and happenings in their life making it a bit of a hectic place. It was nice to be able to relax and enjoy the little moments every now and again, to take a deep breath, inhale the good feelings, exhale the anxieties of daily living away. The living room was situated much in the same way that it was in their childhood, with the fireplace, the carpet, the couch. Relatively new, for the purposes of entertaining guests, were the addition of a much needed coffee table, and a second couch, which now hosted the combined Strilondes, Rose and David.
There was a cake, of course, as all good birthdays needed. A small argument ensued in its baking when deciding if the big dollar store candles saying "2" and "5" counted by themselves as part of the individual other candles festooning the cake's round top, or if it was separate entirely. Ultimately, to the satisfaction of nobody but themselves, J decided that the cake should have 24 normal birthday cake candles, and then the two, and then the five, resulting in a round total of twenty six, bothering everybody immensely.
Now, of course, the day was winding to an end, with that blue sky slowly painting itself shades of orange and pink, overtaken by new colors at the behest of the descending sun, a familiar description to readers of this particular narration. Like oil-based paints slowly bleeding into each other until one was completely overtaken by the new refraction of light made by angles of the star in relation to the Earth. The cake had been thoroughly dissected, J's face having been smashed thoroughly into a single slice and then allowed to wash off so that it would be free of sticky sugar for the rest of the consumption. While there was no coffee on the coffee table, wine was provided in ample supply - Kedem, courtesy of Rose.
They drank, and laughed, and watched a movie together for old time's sake - it was, of course, Con Air, because nothing would demolish their four year tradition. The second couch was mostly abandoned so that all four of them could sit on one couch together, comfortable, happy, carefree. The air was colder now, at night, and so some of the windows were shut, but not all. It whistled and whispered the sounds of creaking, groaning cicadas and chirping grasshoppers while the sun continued to descend into invisibility, releasing the moon from her cage to illuminate the night.
They went onto the balcony and sat by a small metal firepit together, watching the stars in the sky. It was getting late, and everyone was still a little bit tipsy, so clearly, it was irresponsible of anyone to drive home in this condition. Thankfully, there were more than enough cushions and mattresses stored in little nooks and crannies, even ones years old, that a rather impromptu slumber party could be arranged. When was the last time they had one of these? Back when J's father was around, no doubt, a painful sting in otherwise pleasant nostalgia. And they had all been so busy, with their raucous adulthood, their careers, their lives and relationships, that they hadn't the time to simply... Revel in old friendship.
Independently and to themselves, they came to the silent conclusion in the dead of night, after long talks until 3 in the morning of the latest gossip, that it was, perhaps, okay to soak in that nostalgia every so often. Even if things weren't good, it was okay to feel like they were good, for a little while. They caught up on old times and old friends and new friends. New relationships, new directions in life. Everything was changing all the time.
Everything was changing all the time.
Everything was always changing, all the time, forever, but there was room for stability in these hallowed halls of birthday celebration. Friendships never forgotten, bitter memories soothed by the passage of time. J fell asleep last, to the gentle sounds of breath and snoring. For once in what felt like ages, they slept peacefully, with no nightmares.